Saturday, June 21, 2014

Time to realign politics

Today we are holding an internal party conference in Dublin. Those taking part are our new elected representatives and the party leadership. It has been a really good day and is preparing the party for the work to come.

That is a
significant achievement. But for Sinn Féin elections are not about simply
playing the political insiders game.

If citizens
want to judge Sinn Féin it cannot be just on how many votes we have. It has to
be on the changes that we bring about. That is the only way to judge what we
have achieved in the last 30 or 40 years. And on what we will achieve in the
upcoming period.

For us
electoral politics are about transforming society on this island, north and
south. It is about putting the interests of citizens, as opposed to elites, at
the top of the political agenda. All of you in this room are the elected
representatives of the Irish republican ideal. That is both a challenge and a
great honour.

So, let us
always be clear on who we are, what we stand for, and who we represent.

We need to
know our core values. Our beliefs.

We need to
be the very best that we can be at promoting these core values.

We need to
know how to win support for these core values.

Initially
this support may be passive. Most people become passive supporters before they
become activists. It is our responsibility to convert passive support into
active support so that citizens are empowered. So what does Sinn Féin stand
for?

Sinn Fein
stands for equality, for fairness, for economic justice — for the right of
citizens to a home, to an education, to a job, to healthcare, to the pursuit of
happiness.

We are
freedom, equality and solidarity. We are against austerity.

Sinn Féin is
for a united Ireland and we have the strategy to bring it about.

We are for
the unity of Orange and Green, for civil and religious rights with tolerance
and respect for all citizens.

And we are
for the promotion of the Irish language as the common heritage of all on this
island.

We are for
an independent Ireland in a Europe that respects the rights of nation states
and is based on principles of social solidarity.

Tá
polasaithe Sinn Féin bunaithe ar na bunluachanna poblachtach seo.

As Sinn Fein
continues to grow, we must always remember that our project is not about any
one of us as individuals.It’s about the republican cause.

Standing United

There was a
time, not so long ago, when it was very dangerous to be a Sinn Féin
representative. Our leaders, councillors, election workers and their families
were subjected to a brutal campaign of assassination. For some it remains
dangerous.

Last week
Martin McGuinness’s car was damaged. Others in the party get regular death
threats. When Sinn Fein Councillors in the north were first elected they were
denied their rightful entitlements, as were those who voted for us.

And for
decades in this state Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour combined to exclude
Sinn Féin Councillors from committees and delegations on councils. Indeed we
were denied the use of public buildings for Ard Fheiseanna, including in my own
constituency of Louth. They are still at it today.

Witness the
alliance of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour conniving to carve up council
positions for each other. It’s time Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil stopped
pretending they are different. They are not. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are
conservative soul mates. They should be in government together.

The
challenge for Sinn Féin is to decide where we want to be in the medium to long
term and chart a course toward this. That means we have to be very clear about
our objectives and our strategies. That means we need to be more cohesive than
ever before.

What we are
trying to do is unprecedented. It hasn’t been done before and arguably it
hasn’t been tried. Because what we are trying to do is to build in two parts of
a partitioned island a national struggle that transcends the border; that
doesn’t succumb to partitionism; that is cohesive and continuously moving
forward even at times at an incremental pace.

It means
supporting each other and working together as comrades and equals. It means
working our party structures and ensuring that none of our elected comrades,
especially new councillors are left to muddle through policy
matters. This is a two-way process. It means Councillors coming to us. It means
Head Office and leadership providing support.

A lot of work to do

I said
earlier that we need to decide where we want to be in the medium to long term. That
is a subject we have to return to in a process of engagement across the party so
that we can get a democratic consensus on these questions. So I won’t elaborate
on that too much today.

But we can
look forward to the immediate future. For example, two years from now we will
have contested at least two by-elections, a Westminster election, a General
Election and an Assembly election. We will have commemorated the centenary
of the 1916 Rising.

We will have
had to deal with huge challenges in the peace process and political process and
ongoing negotiations. There is a large onus on us, who want Irish unity to
persuade those who are unionist of the merits of this position. We also
have a strong view that outside the issues of political allegiance there is
potentially huge common ground between working class unionists, loyalists,
nationalists and republicans.

Notwithstanding
the shortcomings of unionist leaders, Sinn Féin needs to engage with unionism
in all its forms and sectors. Across the island and indeed internationally our
position on social and economic issues is essentially a republican one. That
is that, citizens have rights and society must be shaped on these core values
in a citizen centred, rights based dispensation as opposed to privileges for
the elites.

For this
reason we are anti-austerity and pro public services. We need to
popularise these core values by developing policies, which can win public
support. So there is a lot of work that needs to be done over the next two
years.

Sinn Féin
has just come out of very good elections where483,113 people voted for the
party and elected a record number of councillors and MEPs in addition to our
team of TDs, MLAs, Senators and MPs. We are now the largest party on the
island. There is growing support for our pro peace process/anti-austerity
message and our all Ireland politics.

We need to
deliver. There will be an additional onus on us to do this where we hold
power. We need to be radical and innovative in delivering for communities
against the backdrop of the current economic crisis.

The
centenary of 1916 has the potential to have a significant influence on politics
on the island. It creates an opportunity to focus on the question of Irish
Unity and the real need for changing politics. We need to step up our work
for the decade of centenaries.

We also need
to keep building our party and to address some organisational weaknesses across
the island. There are 3 Councils across the island where we didn’t get any
Sinn Féin representative elected and 19 Local Electoral Areas (LEAs) in the 26
Counties where no one was returned.

There is
also a growing disenchantment with the political process in the 6 counties and
a decreasing turnout in the 26 Counties. This needs to be tackled.

Today we
will discuss our national strategic objectives and start putting in place our
political, electoral and organisational strategy and workplan for the next 2
years.

Our
immediate priorities are:

· Negotiations
and dealing with difficulties in the political process and peace process.

· By-elections
and Westminster elections.

· Preparations
for a General Election and Assembly elections.

· Preparations
for the centenary of 1916 with a strong focus on Irish Unity.

· Engage
with unionism in all its forms, on issues of common ground.

The North

There is now
widespread concern about the situation within the DUP. It is quite clear that
the DUP does not appear to have the appetite for the challenge of dealing with
the outstanding issues of flags, parades and the past in any serious way.,

Sinn Féin
demonstrated very clearly during the Haass negotiations our seriousness and
determination to find a way forward. We made compromises during those talks.

For any
process aimed at resolving these issues to succeed unionist political leaders
need to show a similar willingness. That has not been evident so far.

Despite this
there does exist a window of opportunity to resolve the issues of flags,
parades and the past. Sinn Féin will meet separately with An Taoiseach Enda
Kenny and British Prime Minister David Cameron in the next few weeks.

Party
leaders in the Executive have agreed an intensive round of talks and Sinn Féin
is engaging positively in this process. However to be successful the Irish and
British governments must become more engaged in upholding and fulfilling their
obligations

We also need
the continuing support of the US Administration, of political leaders on
Capitol Hill and of Irish America.

It would be
great to have a real discussion about the need for a different economic
approach. During the period of the Celtic Tiger Sinn Féin and especially our
small dedicated group of TDs, pointed out the dangers of the developing
property bubble and the potential for an economic crash.

We warned of
the over-reliance on taxes from the property sector; of over dependency on
construction; of the danger of auction politics. Others tried to outdo each
other with promises of tax cuts.

Sinn Féin
argued that the wealth of the Celtic Tiger should be used to create sustainable
jobs, build infrastructure, and be invested in health and education.

We were
ridiculed by the same people whose flawed greedy self serving policies
collapsed the economy, forced hundreds of thousands out of work and almost half
a million of our young people overseas. Sinn Féin was right then and we are
right now.

We believe
that it is possible to make the necessary deficit adjustments without harming
families or frontline services by creating jobs, asking the wealthiest to pay
more and by cutting waste from public spending.

The Property
Tax, Water tax, removal of medical cards, cuts, mortgage distress and lack of
social housing have pushed working people to the limit.

So, let’s
see some scrutiny of the policy of Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil which says
that for decades to come that our children and our grandchildren should be
forced to pay for the greed of the bankers, developers and corrupt politicians.

Government Failure

This Fine
Gael/Labour government promised a ‘democratic revolution’ but has
delivered the same stale, old politics of the previous Fianna Fail-led
government. They appoint cronies to state boards. Ministers favour their own
constituencies for funding. They seek to control the banking inquiry by
stuffing it with government TDs and Senators.

They ignore
the hardship endured by the most vulnerable as a result of austerity. They take
medical cards from the most vulnerable, fail the homeless, and cut services for
the elderly, the sick and the young. They have betrayed the electorate.

Fianna Fail
cannot provide a credible alternative to the Government because the government
is already implementing Fianna Fail policy. Fianna Fail does not disagree with
the Government on any of the major issues facing our citizens. Fianna Fail is
an integral part of the 'Consensus for Cuts'. The Water Tax, for instance, was
Fianna Fail’s idea.

Sinn Fein in government

For our
part Sinn Fein needs to be ready for government in this state on our
terms, agree our policy priorities and political platform and our commitments
need to be deliverable.

We are
ambitious for change and believe we can deliver on jobs, housing and
health. But we will not do what the Labour Party has done — we will not enter
government merely to give cover to the agenda of conservative parties.

That’s the
old failed political system. Citizens want fundamental change. Sinn Féin seeks
to offer a viable, do-able, political alternative. This will not be achieved by
the creation of yet another right-wing conservative party offering repackaged
versions of past failed policies.

Despite
the fervent wishes of the conservative media this state does not need a ‘PDs
Mark 2’, led by disgruntled Fine Gael TDs. The reality is that some combination
of Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil has been in government since the
foundation of this state.

But just as
one-party Orange rule in the North is gone, the failed two-and-a-half party
system in this state is going also. Today's gathering is further proof that
Sinn Féin is now a major player in both states with policies and an expanding
organization, which transcends partition.

It is time
for a realignment of politics. Let those on the Irish left who really believe
that a government without Fine Gael or Fianna Fail is possible begin working
together towards that end.

Building new politics

Sinn Féin is
committed to a new Republic, with new politics that puts fairness and equality
at the heart of government. As we spearhead the building of a real political
alternative throughout this island, we must remain radical, rooted, relevant
and republican.

People are
increasingly looking to us for leadership and to provide hope for the future. That
is our task comrades. That is your task. Let us get to it. Ar aghaidh linn le
cheile!